As an essential tool for the performer, somatic training, offers an in-depth study of the possibilities of the body and its expressivity. It accomplishes this by bringing together both a cognitive, conceptual understanding (basic anatomy and its functions) with personal and experiential research facilitated by the tools of movement, breath, sound and visualization.
Somatic Performer Workshops
Jointly taught by Wendell and Erika as intensives of various lengths. See the Course Archive on our website at www.beaversberlandworkshops.com for specific workshop descriptions. For each workshop we choose an aspect of the Body Mind Centering(R) material to research by applying experiential anatomy and developmental movement principles and concepts to improvisation (Viewpoints), physical acting ( Grotowski), dance making and personal movement research. The workshops offer methods of psychophysical and embodied research to support individual artists in creating original work across aesthetics and genres.
Experiential Anatomy Courses and Workshops
Regularly offered by Erika both online and in-person. The somatic technique of experiential anatomy brings together a cognitive, conceptual understanding (basic anatomy and function) with personal and experiential research facilitated by movement, voice, breath and visualization. The specificity and detail of the Body-Mind Centering (R) approach gives us access to the variety of texture, emotional quality and expression inherent in the bodies tissues and organs.
Developmental Movement
Offered by both Erika and Wendell both online and within the Somatic Performer Workshops. This is the study of the basic neurological patterns of locomotion and reflexive response. These patterns are inherent in the nervous system from both the phylogenetic (developmental) and ontogenetic (evolutionary) perspective. The fundamental patterns include both prevertebrate and vertebrate organization of the body and underlie complex movement and expression. These are the basic patterns of locomotion which underlie complex movement and whole body response.